Jazz stars come out for all-night Montreux jam for Quincy Jones

2018-07-11 17:42:00

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MONTREUX, Switzerland - An all-star cast of musicians from Ibrahim Maalouf to Mos Def, Robert Glasper and Monty Alexander celebrated producer Quincy Jones at an epic Montreux concert that ended just before dawn on Wednesday.

Jones, who turned 85 in March, attended the birthday tribute in the House of Jazz at the 52nd edition of the Montreux Jazz Festival, where he served as co-director in the 1990s.

Drummer Nate Smith and Kinfolk opened the three-hour show at 2 a.m. with "Skip Step", later joined by Richard Bona on bass.

"There was no sound check, it's all about improvisation," Smith told the audience of 600 at the free event, to be available on Qwest TV, Jones' video-streaming service, in September.

Lebanese-born Maalouf, wearing a green camouflage cap, took center stage to play a solo Bach prelude on his trumpet.

Cuban pianist and composer Alfredo Rodriguez, a protege of Jones, and Bona, sporting a white turban and dark glasses, joined Maalouf for the track "Ay, Mama Ines".